Hotel Near Canyonlands National Park
45 Miles, 50 Mins Drive
Visitors can explore Canyonlands by foot, car, horseback, mountain bike, or 4-wheel drive vehicles (permits are required in some cases, particularly with backcountry areas or when exploring with off-road bikes and UTV’s).
The Colorado and Green rivers divide the park into three distinct areas not connected by roads: Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze. The Island in the Sky area offers sweeping vistas over the lower two districts, the Needles and the Maze, which are more rugged backcountry districts that offer excellent hiking and biking opportunities.
The history of the geologic forces that created Canyonlands is a tale of millions of years of erosion. First, starting out at an elevation near sea level, was the formation of the sedimentary rock that the current region is comprised of. Most of the sediment came from distant mountains, as far east as the Appalachians, and the somewhat closer Rocky Mountains. Over eons, wind and water carried rock material into southeastern Utah to create deposits that eventually became distinct layers of sediments, a veritable layer cake that over time, became hidden underground.
Note: Dogs Are Not Allowed in The National Park